Apparatus for controlling circuits



Dec. 7 1926. 1,609,646

s. F. FocHT APPARATUS FOR CNTROLLING CIRCUITS Filed August 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Tuy-.1.

gum/:Ge 45 DR/VE WHY S/DE WALK l /45a' 42a l, 7/0 K 1l T A :i 1/ B O L 5% l Y e 11 "a b lvwewfoz Dec. 7 1926.

S. F. FOCHT APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING CIRCUITS Filed August 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tqn Eta-5' 641 @M lf/@ Patented Dea 7, 192e. 1,609,646

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN F. FOCHT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLINGbIRCUITS.

Application led August 28, 1924.A Serial No. 734,675.

This invention relates to apparatus for the circuit through the leads 3, 4, as will be controlling an electric circuit or circuits latel set forth. rhe switch 7 may be mountadapted to` throw on and off one or more ed in a casing 7, which may be counter-sunk lights andv also actuate alocking mechanism, in the drive-way C at any suitable point,

ii desired. preferably near the end that merges into the 60 The object of the invention is to provide street C. To insure operation of the switch an improved apparatus of this character of 7, l prefer to provide the elongated casing relativelyvv simple construction and capable of 7a and to dispose it transversely of the ready installation. drive-way, and to mount in the casing a plu- 10 Other objects of the invention will be aprality of switches 7 having their respective 65 parent to those skilled in the art to which my terminals connected in parallel. By this arinvention relates from the following descriprangement danger of the wheels missing and tion taken in connection with the accomfailing to operate'the switch is avoided. The panying drawings, whereincasing 7a may be closed at its upper or openv l5 Fig. l is a diagrammatic View of appaend by a flexible member 8, fitting along its 7U ratus and electric circuits embodying my inside and end edges into lateral chambers 7 venti'on shown applied for use in connection and secured therein by strips 8a and screws with a dwelling and a garage and drive-way 8; the construction being preferably of a therefor, the latter being shown -in plan. character to make the casing water-tight. 8

l0 Fig. 2 is a section, enlarged, on the line indicates a plurality of compression springs 75 2-2 of Fig. 1. interposed between the bottom of the casing Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of 7a and HeXible member 8 and serving nor- Fig. 2. mally to hold the latter elevated out of en- 'F ig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing gagement with the switch elements 7. `he

25 diagrammatically the garage doors and the switch elements are normally separated to 80 locking mechanisms and circuits therefor. maintain the circuit open, the upper ele- Fig. 5 is plan view, partly in section, ot' ments being mounted on a resilient arm 7.

the. switch mechanism. S indicates a coiled spring disposed on the Fig. 6 1s a section on the line 6-6 ot upper switch element to form a cushion to "l" Fig. 5. avoid undue strains on the switch contacts 85 F ig. 7is a sectional view of one of the when the vehicle wheels pass thereover. locking mechanisms. 9 indicates a supplemental circuit in which Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 ot is connected the lamp or lamps` 10 to be Fig. 7. lighted and one ormore door locking and I have shown my invention for use in conreleasing mechanisms l1 to be controlled, a UU nection with a dwelling, indicated at A, switching mechanism 1Q and a switch 13, having a garage B and a drive-way C leadpreferably of the three-way type. ing therefrom, the purpose being to first The lamps l0 are placed at various posilight the garage B and also the driveway C, tions. two being shown along the drive-way 4U if desired, and to release or unlock the ga- C and one in the garage B, but a greater or U5 rage door or doors, then to put out the sevlesser number may be employed. The gaeral lights automatically when the vehicle is rage B is shown as capable of storing two driven out, then to light the several lights vehicles for which reason I prefer to proauton'iatically when the vehicle re-enters the vide two doors particularly as either 45 driveway and finally to put the lights out one may be slid into overlapping relation 100 and lock the door or doors. `with respect to the other to effect the openl. 2. indicate the current supply mains ing thereof. Each door is preferably conleading into the house A and serving as the nected with a weight Zi. which tends to move source of current supply. 3. 4` indicate the door to its open position. Each door 7) 0U leads connected to the mains l. 9.. respectiveis provided with a locking element ll"l with 105 lv. and the terminals 5. 6, of a switch 7. The which engages and disengages a latch 11 switch 7 is disposed in the drive-way 3 in operated by the lock and releasing mechathe path of the wheels of the vehicle tobc nism ll as will be later set forth. stored in the garage B so as to be operated Of the switch mechanism 12, 14 indicates 55 by the wheels as they pass thereover to close a base mounted at some convenient place 1m preferably within the house A. indicates a shaft projecting from the base 14 and preferably comprising ascrew the head 15a of which is counter-sunk in the under face of the base 14 (see Fig. 6). 16 indicates a ratchet which is loosely mounted on the shaft 15 and engaged by a pawl 17, the latter being pivoted on the outer end of a thrust member 18 which is connected at its inner end to the outer end of a core 19 mounted within a solenoid winding 20 so that when the winding is energized the core will be moved and it in turn, operating through the thrust member 18, will effect the movement of the pawl and ratchet wheel, thereby rotating the latter one step. The core 19 and thrust member 18 are preferably of polygonal shape in ably fit a correspondingly shaped sleeve within the windingl 20 so that they will not rotate therein and move the pawl 17 out of its operative relation to the teeth of the wheel 16. 21 indicates a spring preferably coiled around the core and interposed be tween the outer end of the winding 20 or an end plate 22 thereon and a head or cap 23 mounted on the outer end of the core 19, the purpose of the spring 21 being to move the core 19 outwardly, when the winding is deenergized, to retract the pawl 17 into position for its next operation. 24 indicates a cushion serving as a stop for the core 19 when moving outwardly. The switch mechanism 12 is mounted in a casing 12 and the stop 24 is preferably mounted on one end wall thereof. The solenoid winding 20 is interposed in the lead 3, so that each time the switch 7 is operated the ratchet wheel is moved the distance of one tooth. Since both the front and rear wheels of the vehicle pass over the switch 7 it is' closed twice each time a vehicle passes in and out of the drive-way C and the ratchet wheel is thus operated twice or the distance of one tooth two times. 25 indicates a switch element loosely mounted on the shaft 15, but rigidly connected tothe ratchet wheel 16 by a plurality of screws 26 so as to be rotated thereby. Theperiphery of the switch element 25 is formed with notches 26', corresponding in number to the number of teeth on the wheel 16. 27, 273, indicate spring fingers or brushes arranged to ride on the periphery of the switch element 25 and seat in the notches 26 formed therein. The fingers or brushes 27, 27a, are each supported by a standard 27c fixed to the base 14 by a screw 27 and provided with a terminal 27d to which reference will later be made. The switch element 25 comprises a plurality of sections of conducting material 25a and insulating material 25b alternately7 arranged so that a circuit may be closed alternately through the fingers 27, 27a. Due to the fact that the circuit cross section and slid through the leads 3, 4, is closed twice and the ratchet wheel 16 is moved a corresponding number of\t-imes each time the vehicle goes out or enters the drive-way C, each section 25a, 25", is wide enough to provide for two notches 26 and theends of fingers 27, 27a, are spaced to seat in corresponding notches of two sections 25, 25", so that at any position of the switch element 25 both fingers cannot simultaneously engage one conducting section 25a or two thereof or an insulating section 25" or two of said sections. In constructing the switch element 25', I provide its body portion with a plate of insulating material 25 having a hub 28 and a plate of suitable conducting material 25a that is connected to the conducting sections 25u to permit the circuit to be completed therefrom to a collar 28a which in turn bears against a ring 29 preferably interposed between the switch element 25 and base 14. The hub 28 may extend through the collar 28 and partially into the ring 29 and thus serve to insulate both from the shaft 15. 30 indicates'nuts engaging outer end of the shaft 15 and serving to hold the 'switch element 125 and ratchet wheel 16 on the shaft. I prefer to interpose between the nuts 30 and the wheel 16 a comression spring 31, the function of which is to yieldingly hold the collar 28a in engagement with the ring 29, and thus to insure electrical contact therewith.

The supplemental circuits for the switch mechanism 12, three-way switch 13, lamps 10 and locking and release mechanisms may now be described, as follows: 32 indicates a lead connected at'one end to the lead 3 between its connection with the main 1 and the solenoid winding 2O and at its opposite end to a terminal 33, which in turn is electricallv connected by a strip 33a with the lring 29. 31 indicatesalead extending from the terminal 27dl for the finger 27 to the switch contact 35 of the three-way switch 13. 36 indicates a lead extending from the terminal 27d for the finger 27a to the switch contact 37 of the three-way switch 13. 38 is a lead extending from the other contact 39 of the three-way switch 13 to a wire 40 which is connected to each of the lamps 10 by wires 41, 41a, and to each of the locking and release mechanisms 11 by a branch wire 4:2, 42% 13 indicates a switch device for connecting the contact 39 with either of the contacts 37, 35, such device being preferably mounted to rotate so that it may be oscillated from either position to the other. The other side of the circuit for the lamps 1() and locking and release mechanism 11 comprise a wire l13 connected to the lead if the loo

and branch wires 44 to each of the lamps""" 1() and branch wires 15, 45a. to the locking and releasing mechanisms 11.

According to the position of the elements lbefore and moving as shown in Fig. 1, the lamps are out and the garage doors b are locked, since the switch device 13 is positioned across the contacts 39, 37, and the latter is connected to the linger (27a) that is engaging an insulating section 25b on the switch element 25. If now it is desired to drive a vehicle (not shown) out of the garage B the switch device 13 is rotated to connect the contacts 39, 35, which completes the supplementalcircuit 9 through the finger 27, section 25a to the-lead 3 and the wire 38, 40, 43 to the lead 4; hence, the lamps 11 will be lighted, the locking and release mechanisms 11 released and the doory b will slide open under the iniuence of the weghts b. As the front and rear wheels at one side of the vehicle pass over the switch 7, the circuit through the leads 3, 4, will be closed twice and energize the solenoid winding each time. As a result of this operation, the ratchet wheel 16 will be operated the distance of two teeth, thereby moving the switch element to bring that insulating section b that was below the linger 27a to the position below the finger 27, thereby breaking the circuit putting out the lamps 10) and positioning the next conducting section 25a below the finger 27a. When the vehicle returns it lirst passes over the switch 7, operating it twice again, thereby operating the ratchet wheel 16 as the conducting section 25a that is below the finger 272L to the posi- -tion below the finger 27, which completes the circuit 9 and lights the lamps 10. Upon driving the vehicle into the garage B, closing the doors and entering the house A, the switch device 13 is operated to open the circuit 9 and thus put out the lights.

From the foregoing description, it will be sccn that when the circuit 9 is closed, the locking-and release mechanisms 11 are released to permit opening of the doors b;

hence when the vehicle enters the driveway C and automatically closes the circuit 9 provision must be made for locking the doors when the circuit to the lamps is closed or holding them in closed position until the circuit 9 is opened, it being desirable to have the doors move to open position by the action of a weight or equivalent means upon the closing of the circuit 9 by operatiouof thethree-way switch 13. For this reason I have provided a novel construction of locking and release mechanism 11 which will now be described, only one of such mechanisms being referred to since both are similar in construction. Of this mechanism, 46 indi- Cates a main electro-magnet having the ends of its winding 46a connected to the wires a, 42a, and its armature 46 fulcrumed on a support 47, mounted on a. base 47. One end of the armature 46b is arranged to be acted upon-by the winding 46a, or its core 46', when the winding is energized by the closing of the circuit 9; the other end of the armature 46"' is operatively connected to the latch 11b and operates' to slide it out of engagement with the kee r 11 when the armature is operated by t e Winding 46a. The latch 11b is guided in its movements to engage and disengage the keeper 11pa by a strap 48, suitably secured to the base 47". The outer end ofthe armature is arranged to slightly overbalance the weight of .the latch 11b so that it may norm'ally hold the latch in locking position; .the latch and electromagnet 46 being arranged so that the armature may rock on a horizontal fulcrum. 50 51, indicate the contacts 'of a. terposed in the wire 42a and serving to open and close the circuit therethrough, in the manner later to be set forth. The contact 50 is carried by an arm 50* that is pivot-ally mounted on a block 54 ofl insulating material,

switch 52 in;

to insulate it from the contact 51 carried by an arm 5la also preferably supported by the block 54. The arm 50 is preferably connected througha compression spring l55 and a terminal 56 to that section of the wire 42a connected to the wire 42. As shown, the

terminal 56 is carried by a lug extendingr i laterali)7 from the block 54, so that such lug may form an abutment 54 for the spring 55, whereby the latter may swing the arm 50a about its pivot-and` normally hold the contacts 50, 51, in engagement to complete the circuit through the winding 46a. The arm 5() forms an armature for a supplemental electro-magnet 57, the winding 57Il of which is Aconnected to the wires 42, 45, between their connections with the winding 46" and terminal 56 and the wires 42, 45. In operation, upon the closing of the circuit 9 in the manner already described, the current will flow through b oth windings 46, 57, and etlect an operationof the armatures 46",` 50, respectively, but due to the interpositioning of the spring 55 between the abutment 54a and the armature 50a the movement of the latter will be retarded relative to the movement of the armature 46h. As a result, the electro-magnet 46 will rst operate to release the latch 11b from the keeper 11a` following which the electro-magnet 57 will break the circuit through the cont-acts 50, 51, thus allowing the latch 11b to return to its keeper engaging or locking position.

Accordingly, if the door 7) is closed, the latch 11b will ride the free edge of the keeper 11 (such edge' being inclined for this purpose) and finally seat itself below the projecting element of the keeper. It will therefore be seen that when the vehicle enters the garage, notwithstanding the fact that the lamps 10 are lighted by the operation of the switch 7 the latch 1lb is free to engage the keeper and hence the doors may be closed and locked, and when the switch 13 is operated to open the circuit 9, as above set forth, it will dedescription herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a main circuit, a switch therefor, a supplemental circuit, a device in said su plemental circuit arran ed to be operate when said circuit'is close, a switch element having alternate non-conducting and conducting sections, the latter being connected to said supplemental circuit, a pair of lingers each arranged to be connected to said supplemental circuit and positioned to engage a non-conducting section and a conducting section, means controlled by the closing of said main circuit to move said switch element to reverse the engagement of said fingers with said sections, an a switch device in said supplemental circuit for closing the circuit through one of said fingers at will.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a main circuit, a switch therefor, a supplemental circuit, a device in said supplemental circuit arranged to be operated when said circuit is closed, a switch element having alternate non-conducting and conducting sections, the latter being connected to said supplemental circuit, a pair of fingers connected to said supplemental circuit positioned to engage a non-conducting section and a conducting section, means, including a pawl and ratchet mechanism, controlled by the closing of said main circuit to move said switch element to reverse the engagement of said lingers and said sec-- tions, and a switch device in said supplemental circuit for closing the circuit through one of said fingers at will.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a main circuit, a switch therefor, a supplemental circuit, a device in said supplemental circuit arranged to be operated when said circuit is closed, a pair of'switching means, a pair of leads between the respective contacts of said switching means to permit closing of the supplemental circuit through one of said leads when` either of said switching means is operated, and means controlled by the closing of said main circuit to move one of said switching means.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a drive-way for a vehicle, of a main circuit having a switch disposed r in said drive-way Jfor the wheels of the vehid hicle,

cle to pass over, a, supplemental circuit, a device in said supplemental circuit .arranged to be operated when said circuit is closed,

a switc mechanism in said supplemental circuit, a solenoid having its winding conis closed, a switch mechanism in said supplemental circuit, a solenoid having its winding connected in said main circuit whereby it is energized each time the main circuit is closed, and step by step means actuated by Vsaid solenoid to operate said switch mechanism to open and close said supplemental circuit.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a drive-way for a veof a main circuit having a switch disposed in said drive-way for the wheels of the vehicle to pass over, a supplemental circuit, a device in said supplemental circuit arranged to be operated when said circuit is closed` a switch mechanism in said supplemental circuit, a solenoid having its winding lconnected in lsaid main circuit whereby it is energized each time the main circuit is closed, and a pawl and ratchet wheel actuated by said solenoid and connected with said switch mechanism to open and close said supplemental circuit.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a drive-way for a vehicle. of a main circuit having a switch disposed in said drive-way for the wheels of the vehicle to pass over, a supplemental circuit, a device lin said supplemental circuit arranged to be operated when said circuit is closed, a switch mechanism in said suplemental circuit, a solenoid having its winding connected in said main circuit whereby it is energized each time the main circuit is closed, means actuated by saidy solenoid to ope-rate said switch mechanism to open and close said supplemental circuit, and a separate switch in said supplemental circuit for opening or closing the circuit.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the coi'nbination of a main circuit. a. switch therefor, a supplemental circuit, a switch mechanism 'for closing said supplemental circuit, means controlled by the closing ofv supplemental circuit arranged to be operated `When the circuit is closed, said mechanism comprising an electromagnet and means for breaking the circuit through said elec- 5 tro-magnet following the energizing of its winding. y

9. In apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a main circuit, a switch therefor, a solenoid interposed in said main 10 circuit, a supplemental circuit, a pair 'of switching means in said supplemental circuit arranged to close the circuit when either is operated, alocking element, a pair of electro-magnets operated by the closing of said supplemental circuit, the amature of one thereof being connected to said locking element, and means between said electro-magnets for breaking the circuit through the magnet that operates said element.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

STEPHEN F. FOCHT. 

